Romans 11:1
Λέγω οὖν, μὴ ἀπώσατο ὁ Θεὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ; μὴ γένοιτο! καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ Ἰσραηλίτης εἰμί, ἐκ σπέρματος Ἀβραάμ, φυλῆς Βενιαμίν.
Romans 11:2
οὐκ ἀπώσατο ὁ Θεὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, ὃν προέγνω. ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε ἐν Ἠλίᾳ τί λέγει ἡ γραφή, ὡς ἐντυγχάνει τῷ Θεῷ κατὰ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ·
Romans 11:3
Κύριε, τοὺς προφήτας σου ἀπέκτειναν· τὰ θυσιαστήριά σου κατέσκαψαν· κἀγὼ ὑπελείφθην μόνος, καὶ ζητοῦσιν τὴν ψυχήν μου.
Romans 11:4
Ἀλλὰ τί λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ χρηματισμός; Κατέλιπον ἐμαυτῷ ἑπτακισχιλίους ἄνδρας οἵτινες οὐκ ἔκαμψαν γόνυ τῇ Βάαλ.
Romans 11:5
Οὕτως οὖν καὶ, ἐν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ, λεῖμμα* κατ’ ἐκλογὴν χάριτος γέγονεν.
Romans 11:6
εἰ δὲ χάριτι, οὐκέτι ἐξ ἔργων· ἐπεὶ ἡ χάρις οὐκέτι γίνεται χάρις.
Romans 11:7
Τί οὖν; ὃ ἐπιζητεῖ Ἰσραήλ, τοῦτο οὐκ ἐπέτυχεν· ἡ δὲ ἐκλογὴ ἐπέτυχεν. οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ ἐπωρώθησαν,
Romans 11:8
καθὼς* γέγραπται· Ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Θεὸς πνεῦμα κατανύξεως, ὀφθαλμοὺς τοῦ μὴ βλέπειν, καὶ ὦτα τοῦ μὴ ἀκούειν, ἕως τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας.
Romans 11:9
Καὶ Δαυὶδ λέγει· Γενηθήτω ἡ τράπεζα αὐτῶν εἰς παγίδα καὶ εἰς θήραν, καὶ εἰς σκάνδαλον καὶ εἰς ἀνταπόδομα αὐτοῖς·
Romans 11:10
σκοτισθήτωσαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτῶν, τοῦ μὴ βλέπειν, καὶ τὸν νῶτον αὐτῶν, διὰ παντὸς σύνκαμψον.
Romans 11:11
Λέγω οὖν, μὴ ἔπταισαν ἵνα πέσωσιν; μὴ γένοιτο! ἀλλὰ τῷ αὐτῶν παραπτώματι ἡ σωτηρία τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, εἰς τὸ παραζηλῶσαι αὐτούς.
I say, therefore, did they not stumble, in order that they might fall? May it never be, but by their transgression, salvation to the gentiles in order that they might be provoked to jealousy.
Paraphrase: At this point, perhaps you might ask this question. Israel’s unbelief isn’t permanent, is it? Are they completely unrecoverable? Has God cast them off forever? (Psalm 77:7-9) Is there no possibility of salvation for them any more? Certainly not! In fact, by their unbelief and their refusal to accept Jesus as the Great Messiah King, God has brought salvation to the gentile people. But even here, God has a purpose. His purpose is that when the Jewish people see salvation coming to the gentiles, they would be stirred up to want that same salvation for themselves and for their children. In a sense, we could say that God aimed to stir up a holy envy in the Jewish people so that they too would desire to come and bow before King Jesus.
Comments:
See principle 26 for the question. See principle 23 for the infinitive. See here for εις.
Godet suggests (p255) that Israel’s jealousy will be provoked because Israel will see the promises of the Old Testament, which ascribe to the Messiah the conversion of the Gentiles to the God of Abraham, fulfilled throughout the whole world by Jesus Christ.
Romans 11:12
εἰ δὲ, τὸ παράπτωμα αὐτῶν πλοῦτος κόσμου, καὶ τὸ ἥττημα αὐτῶν πλοῦτος ἐθνῶν, πόσῳ μᾶλλον τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῶν!
But if their transgression riches of the world and their loss riches of the gentiles, how much rather their fullness?
Paraphrase: Think about it, dear friends. If the unbelief of the Jewish people brought untold blessing and happiness to the world (Genesis 12:3) and if their punishment brought all the wealth of the gospel to gentile peoples (John 10:16), how much more astounding will it be when God turns again to the Jewish people and brings in the full number of His elect from among them? What a day it will be when they come to embrace Jesus as the only Savior from sin and as the Great Messiah King sent by God to fulfill all the promises God made to the fathers?! (Romans 15:8)
Comments:
Butler, speaking (p80) of a virtuous society, speculates that the restoration of the Jews might be God’s way of bringing about such a society.
Romans 11:13
Ὑμῖν δὲ λέγω, τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. ἐφ’ ὅσον μὲν οὖν εἰμι ἐγὼ ἐθνῶν ἀπόστολος, τὴν διακονίαν μου δοξάζω,
Now I speak to you gentiles. In so far as, for my part, therefore, I am an apostle of the gentiles, my ministry, I celebrate.
Paraphrase: Now I’m speaking to you gentiles because I want you to understand God’s plan here. God called and commissioned me to be the messenger who would bring you the glad tidings about Jesus and all what He has done for your salvation. This I count to be the greatest privilege any person can receive; i.e. to be the beautiful feet of God’s messengers who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (Isaiah 52:7) Now God has shown me that my ministry is even greater than this. Not only is my ministry meant for the salvation of the gentiles but also, indirectly, a means for the conversion of my own people.
Comments:
Dative of apposition
Farrar says (bottom of p198) that μὲν οὖν means “on the contrary.” Liddell says it introduces a negative statement in contradiction or correction of a preceding statement or suggestion. Stuart says (p483) that when it is alone, it has the rough meaning of quidem [certainly] or equidem [for my part, indeed] or videlicet [namely, that is to say].
Romans 11:14
εἴ πως παραζηλώσω μου τὴν σάρκα, καὶ σώσω τινὰς ἐξ αὐτῶν.
if somehow I will provoke to jealousy my flesh and I will save some of them.
Paraphrase: How is this? you might ask. Well, as I preach the gospel to you and as you receive it for the salvation of your soul, the Jewish people see it and are moved to want that for themselves. They are stirred up to jealousy when they see the grace of God overflowing to the gentile peoples. Then, even though God called me to save gentiles, my ministry would also be used by Him to save Jewish people even though I never say a word to them.
Comments:
Romans 11:15
εἰ γὰρ ἡ ἀποβολὴ αὐτῶν καταλλαγὴ κόσμου, τίς ἡ πρόσλημψις, εἰ μὴ ζωὴ ἐκ νεκρῶν;
For if their rejection reconciliation of the world, what the admission except life from the dead?
Paraphrase: I say it again; if God’s throwing out His people in judgment means that now the message of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18) comes to the gentile peoples, what a day will it be when God throws open the door of His kingdom and calls the Jews out of their unbelief and into His favor again? Why, it will be just like they have come back from the dead! Oh that God would hasten the day when this will happen!
Comments:
Romans 11:16
εἰ δὲ ἡ ἀπαρχὴ ἁγία, καὶ τὸ φύραμα· καὶ εἰ ἡ ῥίζα ἁγία, καὶ οἱ κλάδοι.
But if the first fruit is holy, also the dough, and if the root is holy, also the branches.
Paraphrase: Let me illustrate my point by taking you to your kitchen. Each year, we set aside a portion of our dough and offer it up to God as His portion. (Numbers 15:20-21) By consecrating this small portion to God, we testify that the entire batch belongs to God. Now this applies to the Jewish nation. In spite of their obstinacy and refusal to believe in Jesus, they are still holy because the fathers are holy. (Romans 11:28) Think of it this way; if the root of a tree is holy, so will the trunk, branches, and leaves of that tree be holy.
Comments:
Romans 11:17
Εἰ δέ τινες τῶν κλάδων ἐξεκλάσθησαν, σὺ δὲ, ἀγριέλαιος ὢν, ἐνεκεντρίσθης ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ συνκοινωνὸς τῆς ῥίζης τῆς πιότητος τῆς ἐλαίας ἐγένου,
Romans 11:18
μὴ κατακαυχῶ τῶν κλάδων. εἰ δὲ κατακαυχᾶσαι, οὐ σὺ τὴν ῥίζαν βαστάζεις, ἀλλὰ ἡ ῥίζα σέ.
Romans 11:19
Ἐρεῖς οὖν, Ἐξεκλάσθησαν κλάδοι, ἵνα ἐγὼ ἐγκεντρισθῶ.
Romans 11:20
καλῶς· τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ ἐξεκλάσθησαν· σὺ δὲ τῇ πίστει ἕστηκας. μὴ ὑψηλὰ φρόνει, ἀλλὰ φοβοῦ.
Romans 11:21 εἰ γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς τῶν κατὰ φύσιν κλάδων οὐκ ἐφείσατο, [μή πως] οὐδὲ σοῦ φείσεται.
Romans 11:22
ἴδε οὖν χρηστότητα καὶ ἀποτομίαν Θεοῦ· ἐπὶ μὲν τοὺς πεσόντας, ἀποτομία· ἐπὶ δὲ σὲ, χρηστότης Θεοῦ, ἐὰν ἐπιμένῃς τῇ χρηστότητι· ἐπεὶ καὶ σὺ ἐκκοπήσῃ.
Romans 11:23
κἀκεῖνοι δέ ἐὰν μὴ ἐπιμένωσιν τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ, ἐνκεντρισθήσονται· δυνατὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς πάλιν ἐνκεντρίσαι αὐτούς.
Romans 11:24
εἰ γὰρ σὺ, ἐκ τῆς κατὰ φύσιν ἐξεκόπης ἀγριελαίου, καὶ, παρὰ φύσιν, ἐνεκεντρίσθης εἰς καλλιέλαιον, πόσῳ μᾶλλον οὗτοι, οἱ κατὰ φύσιν, ἐνκεντρισθήσονται τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἐλαίᾳ!
Romans 11:25
Οὐ γὰρ θέλω ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν, ἀδελφοί, τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο, ἵνα μὴ ἦτε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς φρόνιμοι, ὅτι πώρωσις ἀπὸ μέρους τῷ Ἰσραὴλ γέγονεν, ἄχρι οὗ τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰσέλθῃ·
Romans 11:26
καὶ οὕτως πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ σωθήσεται, καθὼς γέγραπται· Ἥξει ἐκ Σιὼν ὁ Ῥυόμενος, ἀποστρέψει ἀσεβείας ἀπὸ Ἰακώβ.
Paraphrase:
Comments:
Meyer understands (p234) this to mean that every single Israelite, who is living when God gathers in the last of the gentiles, will be saved. Clarke agrees (p133) but does not think this refers to eternal life.
Hoekema gives two reasons why this passage should not be understood as “a large-scale conversion of the nation of Israel either just before or at the time of Christ’s return.”
- The thought that the salvation of the people of Israel as here described occurs only at the end-time does not do justice to the word all in “all Israel.” Does “all Israel” mean just the last generation of Israelites? This last generation will be just a fragment of the total number of Jews who have lived on this earth. How can such a fragment properly be called “all Israel”?
- The text does not say, “And then all Israel will be saved.” If Paul had wished to convey this thought, he could have used a word which means then (like tote or epeita). But he used the word οὕτως, which describes not temporal succession but manner, and which means thus, so, or in this way. In other words, Paul is not saying, “Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and then (after this has happened) all Israel will be saved.” But he is saying, “Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved.” The Bible & the Future p144-145.
Furthermore, Hoekema points out from Romans 11:30-31, that the Jews are receiving God’s mercy right now. Hence, this reference to Jewish salvation cannot be referring to a future time period. Hoekema also points out that this does not rule out a large scale revival of the Jews at any time in the future.
Romans 11:27
καὶ αὕτη αὐτοῖς ἡ παρ’ ἐμοῦ διαθήκη, ὅταν ἀφέλωμαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν.
Romans 11:28
Κατὰ μὲν τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, ἐχθροὶ δι’ ὑμᾶς· κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἐκλογὴν, ἀγαπητοὶ διὰ τοὺς πατέρας.
Romans 11:29
ἀμεταμέλητα γὰρ τὰ χαρίσματα καὶ ἡ κλῆσις τοῦ Θεοῦ.
Romans 11:30
Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὑμεῖς ποτε ἠπειθήσατε τῷ Θεῷ, νῦν δὲ ἠλεήθητε τῇ τούτων ἀπειθείᾳ,
Romans 11:31
οὕτως καὶ οὗτοι νῦν ἠπείθησαν, τῷ ὑμετέρῳ ἐλέει, ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὶ νῦν ἐλεηθῶσιν.
Romans 11:32
συνέκλεισεν γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς τοὺς πάντας εἰς ἀπείθειαν, ἵνα τοὺς πάντας ἐλεήσῃ.
Romans 11:33
Ὦ, βάθος πλούτου, καὶ σοφίας καὶ γνώσεως Θεοῦ! ὡς ἀνεξεραύνητα τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀνεξιχνίαστοι αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτοῦ!
Romans 11:34
Τίς γὰρ ἔγνω νοῦν Κυρίου, ἢ τίς σύμβουλος αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο;
Romans 11:35
Ἢ τίς προέδωκεν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀνταποδοθήσεται αὐτῷ;
Romans 11:36
ὅτι ἐξ αὐτοῦ, καὶ δι’ αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν τὰ πάντα. αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας! ἀμήν.
that from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory into the ages, Amen
Paraphrase: Now the reason we praise God in this way is because all things originated from God’s purpose; all things came into being through God’s creating out of nothing; and all things are here to show forth the glory of God.
Comments:
Sanday & Headlam: “All things come to man through Him and to Him all return. He is the source the agent and the final goal of all created things and all spiritual life.” source
Also see Sanday & Headlam (bottom of p353) on the meaning of “into the age.”